Synopsis

There are three things you need to know about Fiona Archer… I would tell you what they are, but then I’d have to kill you.

But I can tell you that Fiona’s husband—the always irrepressible and often cantankerous Greg Archer—is desperately in love with his wife. He aches for her when they are apart, and is insatiable when they are together. Yet as the years pass, Greg has begun to suspect that Fiona is a ninja. A ninja mom. A ninja wife. A ninja friend. After fourteen years of marriage, Greg is trying not to panic. Because Fiona’s talent for blending in is starting to resemble fading away.

However, when unexpected events mean Fiona must take center stage to keep her family safe, her response stuns everyone—Greg most of all. It seems like Greg’s wish has come true. 

Except… not. 

When all is said and done, can Greg handle this new version of his wife? Will his irrepressible cantankerousness push her away? Or can the couple find a way forward without either being forced to step back into the shadows?

I've been a fan of Ms Reid's writing from the very beginning, back in 2013 when she published the first book in the Knitting in the City series, Neanderthal Seeks Human. I have enjoyed all the books in the series so far, some I liked more than others less, but they all were fun to read. 

I was excited to read Greg and Fiona's story since I very much like the marriage-in-trouble trope and there are not that many contemporary romances out there dealing with it. I read the prequel (Available for free/Amazon), which tells the story of Fiona and Greg when they first met and got together in  college. I found it a beautiful romantic story and was very much intrigued to see how they were doing years later as a married couple with children.

Happily Ever Ninja has the same distinctive feel as the previous books in the series. The hero and heroine are not awkward (or are rather not as awkward) but they both are badass ninjas (in their own way). Unfortunately I couldn't quite connect with either Fiona or Greg. Their marriage and their relationship were so different from my understanding of marriage and being with someone. It bothered me that they both kept secrets, important ones, from each other. For two people who were so much in love, they didn't really share much and pretty much  did what they thought was best without consulting/sharing it with the other.

They went through their fair share of crazy shenanigans and even some more. I enjoyed some of it, but at the same time it felt repetitive, like I've already seen this and was expecting something new. Fiona and Greg had the same discussions again and again and the result was always the same - one of them totally disregarded the opion of the other and did his/her thing.

Overall, this story didn't feel as real as the previous ones in the series. It was both too much and too little. I wanted more real connection between Fiona and Greg and less over-the-top craziness.

This not a bad book, just not as good as the rest of Ms. Reid's books. Fans of the series might enjoy it more and I urge them not to skip it, because it's a nice romance after all and it also shows us more of our favourite knitting club ladies and their partners.

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